New study reveals many Brits claim they are too busy to clean their homes

By Avant Life2nd April 2019

A new study has found that British adults say they are ‘too busy’ to clean because of the demands of modern life.

The pressures of balancing working hours with looking after children, for instance, means a third of adults struggle to find time for housework.

In the poll commissioned by home appliance brand Beko, only half of the 2,000 adults said they set aside time each week to clean their home, while three in 10 only manage to squeeze in a few chores at the weekends.

The kitchen is the room that takes the longest to clean, according to the study, followed by the bathroom and living room.

The research also revealed that 38 per cent of adults in Britain think the traditional ‘spring clean’, once dutifully carried out yearly by those looking to spruce up their homes, is dying out. Almost half, meanwhile, believe previous generations had more time for household chores.

Keval Shah from Beko said: “With people living such busy modern lives, housework isn’t a priority for many of us anymore. While we all like to be house-proud, it’s difficult to find the time.

“Our research shows time-saving is an important issue, especially with people working longer hours than in the past and enjoying busy social lives. As a result, traditional housework is taking a back seat.”

Being smart with chores

Around two-thirds wish there were more time-saving solutions for cleaning. One in five also said being able to control appliances via their smartphone is a huge time-saver, with one in 10 even saying they use a smart speaker such as the Amazon Echo as a time-saving device when cleaning.

36 per cent of Brits welcomed the development in tech, such as self-cleaning ovens, self-cleaning litter boxes for pets and steam cleaners, as it has helped save them time.

Washing the windows is the task most likely to be neglected due to a lack of time, along with wiping down skirting boards and cleaning kitchen appliances. Cleaning the oven and the toilet are among the chores Brits would be quite happy to see the back of.